Exorsisters, Volume 1: Damned If You Don’t by Ian Boothby, illustrated by Gisèle Lagacé

Image Comics, 2019

ISBN-13: 9781534312043

Available:  Paperback, Kindle edition, comiXology

Kate and Cate Harrow are sisters and small business owners who specialize in exorcisms and demon hunting, while charging reasonable rates. They regularly venture between Hell and Earth during their investigations, sometimes with unexpected results. Cate and Kate are polar opposites. Kate embodies everything rebellious, while Cate is poised and logical. Their relationship is both antagonistic and affectionate. Both sisters are suspicious of their mother. After they figure out what happened to separate Cate’s soul from her body, thereby creating Kate, they made the decision to limit contact with her. The only time she comes around anyway is when she needs something. When their mother arrives in town begging for help yet again, angels start falling from the sky, people’s shadows start vanishing, and the angel Gabriel shows up, looking for help.

Volume 1 collects Exorsisters #1-5 and includes a cover gallery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was just the right amount of camp, without being too much. The relationship between Cate and Kate is fun to see play out, while they are dealing with various strange situations, and then when their mother drops in. Boothby’s demons and other supernatural entities are creatively depicted, especially the demon who messed up a possession spell and is now himself possessed by a little girl. I’d love to see him in his own series. Lagacé’s artwork is a great match for Boothby’s story. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker